For the fourth week in a row, the Michigan volleyball team split its weekend matches.

But this time, Michigan coach Mark Rosen was just happy to squeeze out a win.

Friday night, the Wolverines were crushed in straight sets by No. 1 Penn State, a team that hasn't lost a set in its home gym since November of last season.

“We felt like we were in a cat and mouse game,” Rosen said. “And (Penn State) was just playing with us for awhile, making us feel like we had a chance, before they really turned on their game and beat us.”

But the tables turned when Michigan travlled to Bloomington Saturday night.

The Wolverines downed Indiana in three close, consecutive, sets to bounce back after a tough loss and stay at the .500 mark in Big Ten play.

The match was competitive for most of the first set until the Hoosiers, leading 23-21, seemed poised to pull away. Rosen called Michigan’s final timeout of the set to try to change the momentum.

“Our backs were against the wall,” Rosen said. “And every time they served, we’re thinking, ‘This could be it.’ But we kept our focus, and we executed as well as we have all season.”

After the timeout, the Wolverines forced the Hoosiers into three attack errors. A kill by senior Beth Karpiak capped Michigan's comeback.

The second set was similar for the Wolverines, who trailed 22-18 late.

Once again, Michigan (4-4 Big Ten, 16-4 overall) found its offensive rhythm just in time.

Senior Kerry Hance's aggressive serving paced the Wolverines. Coupled with a dominant front row of freshman Alex Hunt and junior Juliana Paz, Michigan reeled off seven straight points in another comeback affair.

“It’s all about consistency for us,” Rosen said. “Sometimes we got off track, but we rebounded every time because we started playing Michigan volleyball. We clicked at the right time.”

After two exciting sets, the Wolverines wanted to close out the Hoosiers in the final set and secure the win.

But Indiana wouldn’t go away.

The third set was another heart-stopping affair. Michigan couldn't capitalize on its first match point of the night, and Indiana (2-6, 10-10) tied the set at 24 — the first of 12 ties in the Wolverines' longest set of the season.

In a marathon set with scores reaching the high 30’s, both teams ran out of substitutions, forcing Rosen to use players outside their normal positions.

Hunt, who hadn’t served or played back row all season, delivered in a clutch situation, giving the Wolverines the lead.

“With players out of position, there’s no telling what you’re going to get,” Rosen said. “But those out-of-position players really stepped up and played great when we needed them.”

After a set from Zimmerman, a Juliana Paz spike finally ended the marathon set, 38-36.

The win was a confidence booster for the Wolverines after getting blown out by the defending champion Nittany Lions Friday.

“Certainly it wasn’t fun on the court (against Penn State) when we were that outmatched,” Rosen said.

Penn State held Michigan to its worst killing percentage of the year at 2.4, blocking the Wolverines a season-high 15 times.

But Michigan got back against Indiana, registering a killing percentage similar to their season average at .313. Hunt registered a team-leading 16 kills in her first trip back to her home state.

Saturday marked the end of the Wolverines' three-game campaign against ranked opponents. Michigan finished the run 1-2, but was shorthanded for all three matches without junior Megan Bower.

“It’s huge for the team’s confidence to get through those three tough matches without our best lineup and know that we still stayed competitive,” Rosen said.